The Buffalo Sabres remain undefeated in the preseason in their 5-0 victory over EHC Red Bull München. The loaded Sabres lineup overmatched the four-time Deutsche Eishockey Liga champions, but the celebration of hockey internationally was the big “W” today. Red Bull opened the brand-new SAP Garden in front of a sold-out crowd that chanted, whistled, and cheered throughout the entire game.
The Sabres pulled no punches, playing the closest resemblance to their opening night lineup as we’ve seen this preseason. Since Buffalo was allowed to dress an extra player, Peyton Krebs dressed as the team’s 13th forward. Goals by Sam Lafferty, Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, and Munich’s own JJ Peterka gave the Sabres the win.
While an exhibition against Red Bull saw the Sabres outshoot their opponent 40-17, there are still some things to take away from the imbalanced game.
Sabres Lineup
The opening night lines are pretty clear, as they’ve remained fairly intact throughout training camp. Krebs has not been able to work his way into a starting spot and is slated as the team’s extra forward.
At this point, it’s unclear who the most likely player would be to come out of the lineup to give him a chance. Jordan Greenway figured to be the most “out of place” with the speed and tenacity that new head coach Lindy Ruff is trying to instill in the team. He’s looked good in the preseason, however, and is working as one of Buffalo’s top penalty killers.
On defense, Rasmus Dahlin’s return has bumped Henri Jokiharju to the top pair. Ruff has liked what he’s seen from Owen Power and Bowen Byram together, solidifying the Sabres’ top four.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started the game for the Sabres against Red Bull before Devon Levi relieved him halfway through. With James Reimer on the trip as well, the rotation has defined a pretty clear pecking order in net.
Sabres Roster: Sabres Depth Chart Update Heading into Training Camp
Here’s how the opening night Sabres lineup projects:
Forwards
JJ Peterka – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jordan Greenway
Beck Malenstyn – Sam Lafferty – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Extras: Peyton Krebs, Jiri Kulich, Lukas Rousek
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Henri Jokiharju
Owen Power – Bowen Byram
Mattias Samuelsson – Connor Clifton
Extras: Jacob Bryson, Dennis Gilbert, Kale Clague
Goalies
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Devon Levi
Extra: James Reimer
Zach Benson Leap Year?
Zach Benson stormed onto the scene last season and seized a job with the Sabres by having an incredible training camp and preseason. His 2023-2024 season was good, but not great, for an 18-year-old rookie.
While Benson gave a consistent effort night in and night out last season, his defensive play shined, not the offense. He’s looking to eclipse the 30-point mark he set in his rookie year, and that’s not looking like it will be a problem this year.
Benson has four points in three preseason games, with three coming off of plays directly off his stick. Factor in that he’s slotted in with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn and the sophomore should blow his 30-point production out of the water.
The most encouraging thing about Benson in the preseason is that he’s directly creating plays with the puck. That’s something we only saw flashes of last season. Look for Benson to take his game from a defensive specialist to a handful for opposing players in every area of the ice.
Fourth Line Continues to Chip In
Opening the scoring versus Red Bull was not the first line, nor the second line, nor even the third line. Instead, it was Sam Lafferty, who whipped a pass intended for Dahlin off of a defender and into the net. It’s the third goal in as many preseason games that the fourth line has produced at even strength.
Lafferty, Beck Malenstyn, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel are proving to be a terror for opponents. Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel have massive hits already on record that saw the targeted player slow to get up. On top of that, their relentless speed is causing turnovers all over the ice.
The Sabres management has to be pleased with what they’re seeing from all three newcomers, as the instant chemistry is not only resulting in good play but also quality entertainment.
